CHANDLER, IN – Thirty-seven children ages 3-15 fished for prizes at Chandler Town Park Saturday morning, June 11 during the second annual Free Youth Fishing Tournament, hosted by 4 A Better Chandler, Inc.

Lillpop’s Used Auto Sales was the event sponsor, providing trophies, t-shirts, and gift cards to Buck’s & Jake’s Outfitters to the kids who caught the first fish, longest fish, and most fish in two age divisions.

A total of 42 fish were caught during the event, with bluegill being the most common.

In addition to the fishing fun, participants and their families enjoyed free donuts and bottled water. A bike that was donated by an individual in the community was also given away, with the winner drawn from the names of participants who pre-registered for the event.

“This is just a fun event for the community,” said Wendy Wary, president of 4 A Better Chandler. “It’s a chance for people to share the love of fishing with their children and grandchildren, and it just gives them a reason to come out and enjoy the park.”

CHANDLER, IN – About 25 adults, teens, and kids helped beautify the Chandler Town Park this past Sunday. Projects included picking up litter, pressure washing the playground equipment and picnic pavilion, painting picnic tables and the exterior of the recently-remodeled bathrooms, and pulling weeds from the flower bed planted at the entrance during last year’s Memorial Day Weekend Clean-up event.​Organizers, with the nonprofit organization 4 A Better Chandler, Inc., said the annual clean-up provides an opportunity for volunteers to help the town with maintenance and improvement projects while encouraging residents to invest their time and efforts toward making Chandler a better community for A Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest was held in conjunction with the clean-up, allowing kids to have a little fun and promoting a family-friendly environment for the event. Tastee Freeze donated free ice cream cone tokens as prizes for the children who participated in the contest.

The new sky blue color on the bathroom building will serve as a background for a future mural by Michael Smith of Orange Moon Art Studio. Smith intends to work with children from the community to paint the mural once additional security measures are taken. The Chandler Parks Board has been working on a plan to get additional lighting and security cameras installed at the park to help deter vandalism.

Volunteers provided the necessary paint, equipment, and supplies for the clean-up event.

4 A Better Chandler is currently fundraising for an inclusive playground project at the park, and has a free youth fishing tournament scheduled this Saturday from 8-10 a.m. Find more details here.